Los Angeles daily herald., 1887-09-29
SANTA ANA VALLEY.
One of the Eclectic Spots
of Los Angeles County.
A LAND RICH IN RESOURCES.

IA
A Place of Beauty, Fertility, Bust
ness, Pleasant Society and
Fine Climate.
Something more than dozen years
ago-and that a bakers dozen-this
journal began sounding forth the
praises, the advantages and prospects
of Southern California, and particu-
larly of the great Los Angeles Valley.
This good work have been kept up
without intermission during all the
intervening time, and few sections OF
this region has escaped reiterated
eulogium in these columns. But
in all so said there was no word
of exaggeration or misrepresentation
The present is amply voucning for the
entire truth all these statements.
The pleasure of pointing out the great
lines of development all around is in
Just proportion to the pains which
were taken to point out what was
coming. The present duty OF being a
prophet is never pleasant one; for
the seer always looks ahead and those
who cannot look so far think he is
mad. But the time for his revenge is
sure to come, if he can live and wait.
The HERALD has lived and waited,
and has its revenge in liberal measure
in this day of grace.
The immediate proposition is to
crow little bit regarding Santa Ana
and the district lying thereabout as an
evidence of the truth of past vaticin-
alton. And if the cackle is little
loud over the big egg of material
achievement Matched out by enterprise
out of that particular sheep pasture,
why the theme is the only justifica-
tion needed. This is too big nest to
set forth in one effort, go for this issue
and at least two more, the HERALD man
proposes to tell what he saw during u
recent visit to Santa Ana, Tustin City,
Orange, st. James, Olive Heights and
the country around.
1t will be no effort to recall the
original condition of the sheep pasture
beaten hard as the neither milestone
by the tread of millions of feet, and
honey-combed by as many ground
squirrels before the era of progress
was ushered in. One can see COM
panion pictures to that still in some
parts Of the country, although such
are growing scarce.
THE SOIL.
Here was the stumbling block in
the way Of the unbelievers. This
hard-trodden area, this squirrel pas
ture, how could anything be made
out of that? So the blind reasoned
about what they had no eyes to see,
but in time came people with eyes in
their head, who saw the excellence of
this soil and the sulubriousness of
this climate. They made up their
minds to make this their home and
change the barren aspect OF what
seemed desert into the bloom of the
full-blown rose. They knew what
they were doing, for far and wide all
round the spot where the town of
Santa Anna was founded lay dis
trict Of really matchless fertil-
ity. The soil was rich, deep
and easy of tillage. So far as the ma
tive elements of the earth go anything
would grow out of such fertile ground.
All that was needed was
WATER SUPPLY.
The founders OF Santa Ana soon
found that in ample abundance. Al
though Anaheim had been founded
before, and although the first settlers
in this mother colony had taken a
large supply of water from the Santa
Ana river, they had not by any means
exhausted that generous stream. The
life-giving fluid flowed fast and free
beyond the Anaheim ditch. Flowed
in millrace? That is just what it
did; for after leading the ditch
along the east side of the river
to old Burruel Point, now known as
Olive Heights, the big body of water
took deep plunge into the valley be-
low, and here mill was set up, and
its wheel has turned there ever since,
and many grist its stones have
ground. .aQ
"The water that is passed.
Will never grind again|
True enough, but after it turns
mill-wheel it is j st as pure and fresh
to ilrigate the fertile plane which
stretches for miles on every side. 1t
would be a pleasant task to make a
pen and ink sketch of the country
which lies on all sides along the big
bitches which carry these streams of
water through Santa Ana, Orange and
Tustin City. But the task is too diff
cult even for the imagination of a
poet. To get any adequate notion of
what has been done in the way of
progress in that marvellous valley
visit is indispensable. After SO few
short years of exertion these three
gems of rural loveliness stand so
que-nly in their many graces and
beauties that the most gifted words
will not express the tithe of the truth.
On all sides for many miles this region
is simply succession of fertile Vine
yards, orchards OF all, sorts, towering
shrubs and great ornamental trees in
really tropical luxuriance. The broad, !,
smooth and well made roads (which
girdiron the place are aligned with
shade trees Of magnificent growth.
The graceful pepper tree, with
its delicate dropping branches
alternate with the lordiy eucalyptus
trees, whose tops tower almost out Of
sight, and then there are fragrant
locusts, grevilia, palms and all the
endless variety and beauty in the foli-
age which forms SO much of the attract
i've features of all this Semi-Tropic
region. AS for shrubs and flowers,
their variety is endless, and their
loveliness is indescribable. Every
house is hedged about with trim rows
of green border, cypress, laurestinus,
lime, privot and many other